Sandhaven Jetty

2026

fixed medium - ambisonic

4 ’13”

More information on electrocd and electroprésence

[Sandhaven Harbour, Sandhaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland - 3 January 2020]

Whilst working on the SoundMap: People and Place project, a collection of sound walks and sound maps co-created with visual artists Bryan Angus and five communities in North Aberdeenshire, I was drawn to the sounds of a jetty in Sandhaven Harbour on the Moray coast. Protected from the wind and also from traffic noise from a nearby road, the peaceful ambience invited me in to listen more deeply. As the jetty was floating and the movement of the water in the harbour was minimal, the gentle creaking of wood and metalwork often sounded animalistic, sometimes reminiscent of whale song at other times, of injured or dying animals uttering their last breath, which seemed at odds with the restful environment where they existed. I worked with these “animalistic” groans and transformed them to create further utterances.

The piece forms part of the Aides… mémoires… project with Jonty Harrison, consisting of short form pieces (3-6’) made from single field recordings. To visit the project, please go to https://bit.ly/aidesmemoires where hi-resolution concert performance versions of the piece can be downloaded.